Connector assembly

Abstract

A plug contact includes a plate-shaped contact portion. The plate-shaped contact portion includes an upper contact surface where a receptacle contact is contactable. A plug housing includes: a base; a pair of side end cover portions that projects in a mating direction from the base and covers both side ends of the plate-shaped contact portion; a leading end cover portion which couples leading ends of the pair of side end cover portions in the mating direction and covers a leading end of the plate-shaped contact portion; a pair of beams that couples the base with a middle portion of the leading end cover portion in a longitudinal direction; and an outside cover. The receptacle contact includes a pair of upper elastic spring pieces disposed so as to sandwich one of the beams. The receptacle contact is formed by bending a single metallic plate.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A connector assembly comprising:
 a first connector including a first housing and a first contact held in the first housing; and 
 a second connector including a second housing and a second contact held in the second housing, the first connector being mated to the second connector to electrically connect the first contact with the second contact, wherein 
 the first contact includes a plate-shaped contact portion parallel to a mating direction in which the first connector is mated to the second connector, 
 the contact portion has a first contact surface where the second contact is contactable, 
 the first housing includes: a first housing body; a pair of side end cover portions that projects in the mating direction from the first housing body and covers both side ends of the contact portion; a leading end cover portion that couples leading ends of the pair of side end cover portions in the mating direction and covers a leading end of the contact portion; a beam that couples the first housing body with a middle portion of the leading end cover portion in a longitudinal direction; and a housing cover portion that covers the second housing in a state where the first connector is mated to the second connector, 
 the second contact includes a pair of first elastic spring pieces that is contactable with the first contact surface and is disposed in such a manner that the first elastic spring pieces sandwich the beam in the state where the first connector is mated to the second connector, and 
 the second contact is formed by bending a single metallic plate. 
 
     
     
       2. The connector assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the contact portion includes a second contact surface which is a surface opposite to the first contact surface, 
 the second contact includes a pair of second elastic spring pieces contactable with the second contact surface, and 
 the pair of first elastic spring pieces and the pair of second elastic spring pieces are opposed to each other in a state before the first connector is mated to the second connector. 
 
     
     
       3. The connector assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the contact portion is formed by folding the metallic plate back. 
     
     
       4. The connector assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein in the contact portion, a fold formed by folding the metallic plate is parallel to the mating direction. 
     
     
       5. The connector assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein in the contact portion, a fold formed by folding the metallic plate is orthogonal to the mating direction. 
     
     
       6. The connector assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first contact further includes a movement regulating portion that projects in a thickness direction of the contact portion, and 
 when the first contact moves in the mating direction relative to the first housing and the movement regulating portion contacts the first housing, the movement regulating portion inhibits a further movement of the first contact in the mating direction relative to the first housing, and when the first contact moves in a direction opposite to the mating direction relative to the first housing and the movement regulating portion contacts the first housing, the movement regulating portion inhibits a further movement of the first contact in the direction opposite to the mating direction relative to the first housing. 
 
     
     
       7. The connector assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein when the first contact moves in the mating direction relative to the first housing and the movement regulating portion contacts the first housing, a distance from the movement regulating portion to the leading end cover portion is larger than a distance from the movement regulating portion to the leading end of the contact portion. 
     
     
       8. The connector assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pair of first elastic spring pieces includes at least two elastic spring pieces contactable with the first contact surface. 
     
     
       9. The connector assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second housing includes:
 a cylinder portion including an accommodation space that extends in the mating direction and accommodates the second contact; and 
 a lid portion that partitions the accommodation space in a direction opposite to the mating direction, 
 
 the lid portion has an opening for inserting the first contact, the pair of side end cover portions, the leading end cover portion, and the beam into the accommodation space, and 
 the lid portion includes a pair of first elastic spring piece cover portions that is opposed to the pair of first elastic spring pieces in the mating direction.